Hardin's Creek Clermont Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Hardin's Creek Clermont Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a 17-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 55% ABV (110 proof) in a 750ml bottle. This release represents one leg of a landmark terroir experiment from James B. Beam Distilling Company, designed to demonstrate how warehouse location across different Kentucky landscapes shapes the character of identically produced bourbon.

Quick Facts: ABV: 55% (110 Proof)  |  Origin: Clermont, Kentucky  |  Age: 17 Years  |  Distillery: James B. Beam Distilling Co.

Production & Heritage

James B. Beam Distilling Company, one of the oldest continuously operating bourbon producers in the United States, distilled this bourbon using the standard Jim Beam mashbill of 77% corn, 13% rye, and 10% malted barley. The Clermont expression was aged for 17 years in Warehouse E, located at the center of the Clermont campus, on the 2nd or 3rd floor. What makes this release remarkable is its role in a controlled terroir study: all three Hardin's Creek bourbons in this series were distilled from the same mashbill, filled into barrels within 24 hours of each other, and placed on comparable warehouse floors — but at different Kentucky locations, allowing drinkers to isolate the effect of geography and microclimate on aging.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Toasted marshmallow and roasted nuts arrive first, followed by light cinnamon stick and a clear vanilla bean sweetness. Deeper exploration uncovers caramel, a measured dash of rye spice, and mellow oak that signals the bourbon's considerable age.

Taste: The entry delivers a pop of spiced caramel and brown sugar, immediately balanced by a slightly tannic, aged oak note. Rye spice builds at mid-palate, accentuating the 110-proof backbone. As the sip develops, layers of lightly buttered popcorn, tobacco leaf, dried raisins, and seasoned leather emerge in succession.

Finish: Long and drying, with dried raisins, leather, and oak reflecting the full weight of 17 years in barrel. Cinnamon-spiced apple and dry baking spices weave through the tail, leaving a warm, lingering close.

How to Drink Hardin's Creek Clermont

At 17 years old and 110 proof, this bourbon is built for contemplative sipping — neat or with a few drops of water to open the more subtle layers of caramel and tobacco. A single large ice cube will temper the proof gently without muting the complex aged oak character. For those inclined to mix with a bourbon of this caliber, an Old Fashioned benefits from the deep caramel and rye spice; a Manhattan gains backbone from the tannic oak and dried fruit notes; and a Boulevardier finds a worthy partner in the bourbon's proof and leathery depth.

Best For

• Gifting a serious bourbon collector who values age-stated releases
• Side-by-side tastings exploring how terroir affects American whiskey
• Marking a milestone occasion with a rare, long-aged Kentucky bourbon
• Adding a 17-year expression to a curated home whiskey library

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hardin's Creek Clermont taste like? Hardin's Creek Clermont leads with spiced caramel and brown sugar, transitions through rye spice and aged oak tannins, and finishes with dried raisins, leather, and baking spice. The 17-year maturation gives it a deep, wood-driven complexity balanced by residual sweetness.

How does Hardin's Creek Clermont compare to Knob Creek 15 Year? Both are long-aged Jim Beam family bourbons, but Hardin's Creek Clermont carries two additional years of maturation and is bottled at a higher 110 proof versus Knob Creek 15 Year's 100 proof. The Clermont expression tends toward drier, more tannic oak character with pronounced dried fruit, while Knob Creek 15 Year leans slightly sweeter with more caramel dominance.

Is Hardin's Creek Clermont good for sipping neat? Absolutely — this is primarily a sipping bourbon, with 17 years of age producing a complexity and depth that reward slow, undiluted exploration. A few drops of water can further unlock more subtle aromatic notes.

Where is Hardin's Creek Clermont made? Hardin's Creek Clermont is distilled and aged at the James B. Beam Distilling Company campus in Clermont, Kentucky. The barrels specifically matured in Warehouse E at the center of the Clermont campus.

What foods pair well with Hardin's Creek Clermont? Dark chocolate truffles complement the caramel and dried fruit notes. Smoked brisket echoes the bourbon's leather and tobacco character. Pecan pie mirrors its toasted nut and brown sugar sweetness. Aged Gouda matches the tannic oak structure. Bread pudding with caramel sauce bridges both the sweetness and the warm baking spice finish.

What sizes does Hardin's Creek Clermont come in? Hardin's Creek Clermont is available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is Hardin's Creek Clermont worth the price? Hardin's Creek Clermont positions as a premium, limited-release bourbon. A genuine 17-year age statement from a major Kentucky distillery is uncommon, and the terroir experiment concept adds collectible and educational value that distinguishes it from other high-age bourbons in the market.

Why Hardin's Creek Clermont?

The single strongest reason to seek out this expression is its role in a tightly controlled terroir experiment — identical mashbill, identical distillation, identical barrel fill dates, comparable warehouse floor placement, but a different Kentucky location. That scientific rigor is virtually unprecedented in American whiskey and gives the Clermont bottling a purpose beyond simple age bragging rights. At 17 years, it is one of the older age-stated bourbons available from the Beam portfolio, carrying the kind of deep oak tannin, dried fruit, and leather complexity that only extended maturation in a Kentucky rickhouse can produce. For bourbon enthusiasts who want to taste how place shapes whiskey, this bottle is an essential data point.